Oh Se-hoon, Handwritten Apology Letter Saying "I'm Sorry" at Home... What Happened?

Oh Se-hoon Apologizes to Apartment Residents as Protest Continues for 3 Weeks in Front of His Home
"Will Seek a Compromise," He Says... But Mapo-gu Residents Demand Cancellation, Not Compromise

Handwritten apology letter posted by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has posted a handwritten apology to nearby residents who have been affected by protests in front of his home. Local residents opposing the Seoul city government's decision to install a new resource recovery facility (waste incineration plant) in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, have been holding protests daily in front of the mayor's residence.

On the 13th, Mayor Oh posted a handwritten apology titled "I am sorry" on the elevators and bulletin boards of five apartment buildings near his home. In the apology, he stated, "I deeply apologize for causing a noisy early morning just because you live in the same area as I do. I will quickly and wisely find a solution to resolve the issue," and added, "Although it may be inconvenient, I kindly ask for your understanding with a generous heart."

The "Mapo Incineration Plant New Construction Cancellation Struggle Headquarters," composed of Mapo-gu residents, has been protesting in front of the mayor's home around 6 a.m., the mayor's commuting time, since the 26th of last month. The local residents claim there were problems in the selection process of the Sangam-dong site and insist that the Seoul city government should withdraw the construction plan.

In August, Seoul city announced plans to add a waste incineration plant with a daily capacity of 1,000 tons in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu. This was a measure to secure additional landfill sites as direct landfill of household waste in the metropolitan area will be banned starting in 2026. The existing incineration facility in Mapo-gu, with a daily capacity of 750 tons, is scheduled to be dismantled by 2035.

However, Mapo-gu Office and local residents strongly oppose the plan. Residents argue that under the current candidate site evaluation criteria, Mapo-gu, which already has an incineration facility, inevitably receives high scores, and that the majority of the site selection committee members are related to the city council, raising the possibility of a biased decision. They demand △ transparency in the selection process and △ a complete cancellation of the existing decision. Mayor Oh has communicated with opposing residents at city hall and requested them to stop protesting in front of his home during his commute, but the residents continue their protests. Seoul city will hold a residents' briefing session starting on the 18th and begin efforts to persuade the residents.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.